If you are a parent, carer or friend of someone with a learning disability, please tell us what you think by answering our parent carers and friends survey below.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/disabilitystrategyparentscarersfriends
I would like to introduce you to the newly formed 'Cakes for Children in Bolton'. We are a volunteer organisation that offers free birthday cakes to children, who's family may, for various health, social or economic reasons, struggle to get a birthday cake. All our cakes are baked by volunteers in their own homes, not professionals.
Rainy Williamson
facebook.com/cakesforchildreninbolton
Click here to fill in the questionnaire online or Click here to save the form on your computer, fill it in and then email to us info@bacpacbolton.org.uk |
Rochdale Law Centre - operates a discrimination law project that covers Bolton. Please tel 01706 657850 (10am-12 Monday and Wednesday) for more info
Would you like to take part in a study on the education of SEN children?
The Home-School Relationships between Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs (with and without Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties) and Educational Practitioners
Dear parent,
My name is Karen Broomhead and I’m a postgraduate student at Lancaster University, where I’m studying for a PhD in Educational Research. I’d like to invite you to take part in a small-scale research study that I think you would find interesting, which I’m carrying out as part of my degree. More......
New leaflet published by Working Families, guiding parents of disabled children through the financial implications of transiton
Click here to view
Using the Law to Fight the Cuts to Disabled Children’s Services
A practical guide for campaigners - parents, carers and local groups.
Click here to view document
Confused by all the benefits changes? – help is at hand from Contact a Family
Contact a Family has issued an urgent call for families with disabled children to get advice about forthcoming benefits changes.
To help parents make sense of the recent welfare reforms announced by the Coalition Government and what the changes will mean for them, Contact a Family has produced a free guide to Future Benefit Changes. The guide is available from the Contact a Family Helpline on 0808 808 3555
Derek Sinclair, Senior Welfare Rights Specialist at Contact a Family, said: “The recently announced benefits changes amount to the biggest shake up to the benefits system in generations. “Changes include replacing means tested benefits such as income support with a new 'universal credit', major reform of Disability Living Allowance and cuts in housing benefit. “It is really important that parents with disabled children understand what these changes will mean and that is why we are making our guide to Future Benefit changes available to them for free.”
The changes will impact on all families with a disabled child. While some of the changes will not take affect for a year or two, others will start to impact from this April - including changes in housing benefit for many private tenants, and a number of tax credit cuts including reduced help with childcare costs.
While many of the changes proposed will mean cuts in financial help – there is some good news. One of the changes being made in April will allow children aged 3 or above who have a severe visual impairment to start qualifying for the high rate of the DLA mobility component.
Call the Contact a Family Helpline now to order your copy of Future Benefit Changes – 0808 808 3555
Parenting again when you have a grandchild with a disability
Information for grandparents. Click here to view
Resources from the National Autistic Society - The Dental Booklet
Information and tips for maintaining oral health in children with autism. Click here to view
Have you received your free Information Guide on services for families with disabled children in the Bolton area? Click here to order your free copy.
A pdf version is available to download from the Bolton Council website, click on the link below to open it. http://www.bolton.gov.uk/sites/DocumentCentre/Documents/The%20BIG%20Handbook.pdf
BACPAC Leaflet - Click here to have a look
Parents can obtain hard copies of the leaflet for themselves or groups. Contact:
BACPAC
P.O. Box 2220 Bolton BL6 9GG
Telephone 07944 237982
Email: info@bacpacbolton.org.uk
Daycare Trust launches childcare guide for parents of disabled children
Parents of disabled children have been issued with guidance to help them take advantage of new government funding for local authorities which comes into effect today.
Childcare charity Daycare Trust has produced the Guide to Childcare for Disabled Children, to coincide with the £12.5m national roll-out of the Disabled Children's Access to Childcare (Dcatch) Programme.
The guide offers advice on what parents can expect, what their options are and what local authorities are duty-bound to provide. It also offers guidance on where to get support and financial assistance.
Dcatch aims to help parents benefit from expert advice and support when choosing childcare provision. It follows on from 10 pilots, which have been running since September 2008. Areas the pilots focused on include monitoring take-up of childcare by parents of disabled children, consulting with families, providing families with better information, improving awareness among practitioners and making disabled childcare more affordable.
Copies of the Guide to Childcare for Disabled Children booklet can be ordered by emailing info@daycaretrust.org.uk
As the parent/carer of a disabled child you or your child may be eligible for discounts or preferential treatment for certain services/venues. Before travelling, please get in touch with the service/venue to confirm what their provision is for disabled children and current relevant discounts etc.
Listed below are a few of the discounts that we are aware of and are correct at the time of publishing, but you need to check these yourself. If you know of other discounts which are not listed here, please contact us on the contact page and we will promote them to other families.
Cinema Card: Card which gives free entrance for carer to cinemas when accompanied by disabled child. Card costs £5.50. For further information and application form go to www.ceacard.co.uk
National TravelPass: The Concessionary Bus Travel Act states that disabled people in England who are eligible will get free off-peak travel on all local buses anywhere in England. For a copy of the application form please contact Sheila Morris/Claire Rutherford at Disabled Children’s Services on 07944237981
Family Fund: The Family Fund helps families with disabled children and young people aged 17 and under to have choices and the opportunity to enjoy ordinary life. They give grants for things that make life easier and more enjoyable for the disabled child, young person and their family, such as washing machines, driving lessons, computers and holidays. See http://www.familyfund.org.uk
Leisure: Free leisure activities are available at Bolton Leisure centres on production of a SMART card, http://www.boltonleisure.com SQUID card for over 11’s.
Visitor attractions:
Legoland Free admission for registered personal assistants with documented proof of disability. The personal assistant is to help the Guest with disabilities to maximise their day, especially while waiting for the rides and attractions. An exit pass is available for certain guests to avoid queuing for rides. See,http://www.legoland.co.uk/planyourvisit/GUEST+WITH+DISABILITIES.htm and http://www.legoland.co.uk/
Football stadiums: Families can contact their football club to see if they can purchase season tickets at a greatly reduced cost to their child on DLA, the carer also gets in for free. This appears to be at the discretion of each club.
Parentchannel.tv is a new online service designed to support and encourage parents and carers of children aged 5-19, with a collection of videos addressing day-to-day questions and concerns spanning wellbeing, behaviour and learning. Click on the link to view videos: www.parentchannel.tv